The 3 Peaks from Horton - 18th April 2015

Given that its my intention to run around the 3 Peaks once every month in 2015 (for absolutely no obvious reason at all other than I want to) this weekend was my last chance to do April's run, what with the Fellsman looming next weekend. Hester, kind of sensibly, didn't fancy such a long run just one week before the Fellsman but instead decided to run up Ingleborough and back down, timed to try and co-incide with my appearance over Ingleborough.

I was feeling really up for it and managed to keep a relatively strong pace all the way round and was very happy to get back to Horton, taking a snib over 4:30 hours of running. To be fair the ground conditions were really firm and the weather lovely and both contributed nicely to the easy running. A cracker!

Now I just need to put my feet up all week in readiness for the Fellsman......

From Horton - 21.5 miles and 5,987 ft - route on Strava

Whernside on the far horizon from the top of Pen y Ghent

Climbing Whernside now and looking towards peak 3, Ingleborough

Looking towards the top of Whernside, with the final steep bit still to climb 

Ribblehead Viaduct to the left and Ingleborough to the right

On the ridgeline of Whernside and, after the climb, its time to kick start the legs again

Looking back at Whernside from Ingleborough

The summit plateau of Ingleborough

On the final trot back to Horton and meeting Hester hammering along, coming the other way

Pen y Ghent ahoy!

Feet up at the finish and resting for the Fellsman

Settle to Horton via Attermire, Stainforth, Oxenber Woods, Austwick, Norber and Nick Pot - 11th April 2015

Today we joined a whole bunch of Ripon Runners who were over in the area for a weekend of running. They'd devised a gorgeous route to run from Settle to Ingleton, where they were staying at the youth hostel, and me and Hester (who knows a fair few RR's) joined them for much of their run. We finally left them to run over the summit of Ingleborough down to Ingleton at Nick Pot, where we swerved east and headed back home in Horton. A fab run in, on the day, totally unexpected gorgeous weather.

From Settle - 17.3 miles and 3,892 ft - route on Strava

The gang leaving Settle with our destination of Ingleborough on the far horizon

Heading for Attermire Scar

The bottom of High Hill

On the way to Oxenber Woods with Pen y Ghent on the horizon

Oxenber Woods

Team photo at a stream near Austwick

Somehow the branch didn't snap!

Heading for Norber out of Austwick

Limestone on the way to Nick Pot 

Nearly home now

The 3 Peaks from Horton - 29th March 2015

And the weather was just a 'bit' crap with a freezing wind and driving rain right from the off. The rain swiftly turned to snow on Pen y Ghent and then to even heavier driving rain on Whernside and, by the time we got to Ingleborough, although the rain had stopped, the wind had decided to become hurricane force!

All in all a fabulous run with Hester then.

That's my third 3 Peaks run of the year so I'm thinking maybe I should aim for one circuit each month for the whole year? Sounds like a plan Stan.

From Horton - 22.2 miles and 5,865 ft - route on Strava

Hester in full pirate ensemble nearing the top of Pen y Ghent

Appearing from the gloom

Its Spring and therefore shorts weather!

Reaching the snowzone layer on Whernside

You could get a bus through there....

Descending into Chapel-le-Dale

Ingleborough covered in cloud

Hester at the top of the Swine Tail on Ingleborough

What you can't see is the incredible wind!

And yes the weather got much better just before we reached the end

Ingleborough from Austwick - 21st March 2015

A stunning run with Hester starting from Town Head Lane in Austwick, over Norber to Nick Pot, up the main drag to the top of Ingleborough then down via Little Ingleborough, Gaping Gill, Trow Gill and Thwaite Scars.

Cracking run Gromit!

From Austwick - 9.8 miles and 2,678 ft - route on Strava

And we're off.... heading for the limestone bluffs of Norber

Ingleborough still with a few patches of snow

Hester now eating my dust going up the last climb of Ingleborough

Pen y Ghent visible in the haze of the horizon

Me playing King of the Castle

Hester heading for the Little Ingleborough spur off of Ingleborough

Trow Gill

Hester leaving Ingleborough in her wake

Ingleborough

Pen y Ghent and Moughton from Norber

Embsay Crag and Rylstone Cross from Embsay Reservoir - 14th March 2015

Following the fantastic 42 mile High Peak Marathon last weekend (set in the Peak District unfortunately so nothing at all to do with the Yorkshire Dales) it was now back to normal and back to the Dales for a grand run out with Hester. The weather was cold, windy and bleak but the run was great fun all the same, starting off from the small car park at Embsay Reservoir (near Skipton) and looping over Embsay Crag and Embsay Moor, whizzing up to Rylstone Cross and then following the wall line all the way back via Crookrise Crag to our starting point at the reservoir. 

From Embsay Reservoir - 6.9 miles and1,551 ft - route on Strava

Add captionEmbsay Crag ahoy

Looking towards Skipton

The beautiful Hester

I still seem to be carrying a Christmas pud up my jumper godammit!

Rylstone Cross

The intrepid Hester Cox

Looking towards Rough Haw and Sharp Haw

Hester putting the hammer down